26 years, 2 families and 7 murders THE OTHER SIX MURDERS

Deepak Chaudhary, the man suspected to have brutally killed a 12- year- old in Ghaziabad’s Bhojpur, has told the police that his and the dead girl’s family were related, they stayed in the same area and even belonged to the same ‘gotra’.

Things however, Chaudhary told the police, has never been cordial between both the families who had to date witnessed seven murders (including that of the 12-year-old) due to their long-standing rivalry.

The police said the killings started way back in 1989 when a young woman, Sunita, was murdered and her body was dumped in a field in Bhojpur. Sunita was the elder cousin of the 12- year- old girl who was found dead on Tuesday morning.

After the first murder, Sunita’s family blamed Amar Pal Singh and Sher Singh (Deepak Chaudhary’s uncle).

After Amar Pal Singh and Sher Singh were sent to jail, Sunita’s uncle Mangat Singh was murdered in Bhojpur in 1991.

The victim’s family named Suresh, Rakesh and Sheoraj Singh (another one of Deepak Chaudhary’s uncle) for the murder.

Later in 1992, Sheoraj Singh was murdered at the border area of Bhojpur and Modi Nagar. Sheoraj’s family named Jawahar Singh, Mukesh Singh and Vikram Singh ( Sunita’s father) for the killing.

“The rivalry continued and Sunita’s father Vikram Singh was murdered in 1993. It was again alle ged that Deepak Chaudhary’s family was behind the murder,” Bhojpur station house officer Brijesh Sharma said.

A fifth murder followed in 1995 when Sher Singh, Deepak Chaudhary’s uncle, was killed and his family named 7-8 people behind the attack which also included Sunita’s cousin Mukesh Singh.

In 2006, Mukesh became the sixth person to be murdered in the long- standing rivalry between both the families.

“When I saw the girl walking alone on Monday evening, I decided to avenge the murders of both my uncles. I lured her inside my house and then gagged and strangled her. When she died, I slashed her throat with a knife,” accused Deepak Chaudhary told police after his arrest on Tuesday evening. 1989: Sunita (23) murdered at a field in Bhojpur 1991: Sunita’s uncle Mangat Singh murdered at Bhojpur, family names Suresh, Rakesh and Sheoraj as suspects 1992: Sheoraj murdered at Bhojpur/Modi Nagar border, family names Vikram Singh (Sunita’s father), Jawahar and Mukesh as suspects 1993: Sunita’s father Vikram Singh murdered 1995: Sher Singh murdered. Family names 7-8 persons including Mukesh Singh as suspects

2006: Mukesh Singh killed